''Wild West Tech'' is a program that aired on

The History Channel History (formerly The History Channel from January 1, 1995 to February 15, 2008, stylized as HISTORY) is an American pay television network and flagship channel owned by A&E Networks, a joint venture between Hearst Communications and the Disney ...

in the United States from 2003 to 2005. The show was originally hosted by

Keith Carradine Keith Ian Carradine ( ; born August 8, 1949) is an American actor who has had success on stage, film, and television. He is known for his roles as Tom Frank in Robert Altman's film ''Nashville'', Wild Bill Hickok in the HBO series '' Deadwood ...

(2003–04), but his half-brother,

David Carradine David Carradine ( ; born John Arthur Carradine Jr.; December 8, 1936 – June 3, 2009) was an American actor best known for playing martial arts roles. He is perhaps best known as the star of the 1970s television series '' Kung Fu'', playi ...

, took over hosting duties for season 2 and subsequent seasons. The show illustrates a variety of technologies used in the

Wild West The American frontier, also known as the Old West or the Wild West, encompasses the geography, history, folklore, and culture associated with the forward wave of American expansion in mainland North America that began with European colonial ...

, and features interviews with numerous Western historians, as well as re-creating versions of important events in Western history. The series was created by Dolores Gavin (History Channel) and supervising producer Louis Tarantino.

Format

Each episode is dedicated to some broader aspect of Wild West life. Once the context is established in brief by the host, more specific elements are developed. Throughout the program, professors, writers, and other experts explain finer points while

historical reenactment Historical reenactment (or re-enactment) is an educational or entertainment activity in which mainly amateur hobbyists and history enthusiasts dress in historic uniforms or costumes and follow a plan to recreate aspects of a historical event or ...

s and dramatizations portray just how key 19th century events may have transpired. The production aims to put the viewer into the spirit of the Old West with its host inhabiting an unnamed frontier town, delivering commentary. A new spin on the typical technology fact program, this program often covers subjects from the American Old West that are not generally discussed in more traditional settings. For example, one episode takes a look at the brothel, focusing on the inventions and technological innovations used to make the institution of prostitution less harsh on the lives of the women involved. Another explains that Morphine was first isolated in 1803 by the German pharmacist Friedrich Wilhelm Adam Sertürner, but it was not until the development of the

hypodermic needle A hypodermic needle (from Greek ὑπο- (''hypo-'' = under), and δέρμα (''derma'' = skin)), one of a category of medical tools which enter the skin, called sharps, is a very thin, hollow tube with one sharp tip. It is commonly used w ...

(1853) that its use spread and it spread quite a bit in the American West. It was used for pain relief and as a "cure" for opium or alcohol addiction. Its extensive use during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

resulted in over 400,000 people developing the "soldiers disease" (addiction). The same episode informs the viewers that heroin, along with other drugs, was only criminalized in the United States by the

Harrison Narcotics Tax Act The Harrison Narcotics Tax Act (Ch. 1, ) was a United States federal law that regulated and taxed the production, importation, and distribution of opiates and coca products. The act was proposed by Representative Francis Burton Harrison of New Y ...

of 1914 decades after it was derived. Other topics include the technological histories of various alcoholic beverages,

saloons Saloon may refer to: Buildings and businesses * One of the bars in a traditional British pub * An alternative name for a bar (establishment) * Western saloon, a historical style of American bar * The Saloon, a bar and music venue in San Francisc ...

, weapons, and cowboy gangs.

Episode guide

Two pilot episodes were produced, hosted by Keith Carradine, to help sell the History Channel on the concept of the series. Seasons 2 and 3 were hosted by David Carradine.

Pilots

Season 1

Season 2

Season 3

External links

Episode guides
* {{History shows History (American TV channel) original programming History of technology 2000s Western (genre) television series American frontier 2003 American television series debuts 2005 American television series endings